Connected
by ETERNALEATER
Summary: Whether through letters, email, instant messaging, or phone calls people are connected. And that connection, even over thousands of miles can create something special. Ichixruki.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.

She couldn't really say when it started, it just sort of happened. One day she was sitting around the house, practically screaming because apparently it was a vacation week for hollows and she had nothing to do. And the next she was calling him everyday, even for a couple minutes; just to hear his voice.

And so here she was, the famous Rukia Kuchiki, staring at her phone hard enough to light it on _fire_, waiting for a dumb human boy to call. How low had she fallen?

_Ring! Ring! Ring!_

Rukia practically fell off of Ichigo's bed (she had inherited his room after he left) and grappled desperately for the phone, as if to get it before the ringing disappeared and the phone showed no record of a missed call (it had been doing that a lot lately, and Urahara said that there was nothing wrong with it. Although he had been smirking when he said it…).

"_Hello!" _She almost shrieked.

"_Jeez, you don't have to yell. I'm right here, Rukia."_ Kami, Rukia could swear that her whole body just melted.

"Sorry," she grunted.

"_Phone's not 'being nice' again?"_ She could practically hear him smirking.

"I would kick you right now…if you weren't, like, a bajillion miles away." Jeez, just saying that depressed her.

"_Bajillion isn't a word Rukia."_

"Is now." She put on her 'Kuchiki Face' as Ichigo had dubbed it.

"_You're making the face now aren't you?" _He knew her too well, not that she was ever going to admit that.

"No!"

"_You are."_

"Am not!"

"_Are too."_

"I am not! You can't even see!" Hah! Beat that Ichigo.

"_I don't have to, I can tell. Known you too long Rukia."_ Rukia fought desperately to keep down her blush, even though he couldn't see.

"_So how was another day of reaping without me?"_ The 118th to be exact… not that she was counting.

"Boring. Your's?"

"_Same ol' same old." _He sounded exhausted.

"Tired?"

"_A little." _He didn't bother with half-truths or lies so much anymore, she saw right through them. _"Got a paper due tomorrow. Haven't even started." _He chuckled, as if he was proud of it. Rukia knew he was embarrassed.

"Well, your taking, like, eighty courses." She snorted, he was very academically oriented, even more then she was in the Shinigami Academy.

"_Not really. Just what I missed during the War."_ Rukia felt a pang blaze through her chest. Even before the War she had felt a _little_ guilty… okay _really _guilty that she had made him a Shinigami. That he had to shoulder the responsibilities of both the dead and his own life. Sometimes, she felt like she wanted to take all of it back, make him human, really human, again.

"_Stop feeling guilty."_ Rukia frowned.

"You know this 'knowing me' crap is kind of getting old."

Ichigo laughed, _"Too bad."_

"Don't you have a paper to write?" Rukia could almost see him deflate.

"_Ugh, don't remind me."_ She smirked. Victory, as always.

"_So how's my old room holding up under your Chappy obsession?"_

Rukia snorted, "Please Ichigo, your dull room looks so much better with Chappy's _adorable_ face on it."

"_Yeah, yeah. So you keep saying. When do I get to see my new nightmare?"_ Rukia blushed, they'd been sending pictures back and forth with the phone camera Rukia had. But she hadn't sent him a picture of his room, no matter how much he'd asked.

One day, despite her many promises, she realized that she didn't _want_ to decorate Ichigo's room. She wanted it exactly the way he left it. Exactly. What scared her was that she still wasn't really sure why.

"When I say so." She grinned.

"_Oh,"_ she could just see him rolling his eyes at her, _"is that so?"_

"Yep!"

"_You're impossible."_

"So why do you try?" She asked in her innocent girl voice, the one she knew he hated.

"_Sometimes I wonder that myself Rukia,"_ Ichigo sighed.

"I miss you." Rukia blurted out. _Shit,_ she thought.

There was a long silence, then—

"_I… I miss you too."_ Rukia felt her chest expand with a warm feeling, the same one she got when he did something really sweet.

"_Rukia?"_

"Yeah."

"_Don't start thinking that I'm getting soft."_

Rukia scoffed, "I would never—"

"_Don't bullshit me Rukia."_

Ah, well, a relationship like theirs was never meant for drastic changes anyway.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.

Everyone in life had something that they couldn't live without. Something that was their constant, an object or person or place that kept them sane and happy. For Ichigo it was his phone. Ichigo's Blackberrry 8820 Smartphone was his connection to all he'd left behind. To the people he loved and would die for. But mostly, it was for Rukia. Because no matter how capable they both knew she was Ichigo couldn't go a day without making sure she was okay. Even though his dad, Yuzu, and Karin were there with her, making sure she was safe Ichigo had to hear it for himself. He had to hear her voice tell him that he was being stupid, that she was bored with graduate school, that she had run out of money and he should get his butt back here so she could get the last Chappy mug.

Ichigo sat in the local coffee shop surrounded by Japanese English Dictonaries and Essays about Shakespeare's numerous plays. This week they were studying _Othello_. It wasn't one of Ichigo's favorites, but tragedies were never his favorites, he always thought that the world had enough tragedies as it was, so why should people make up more. But he had to admit that this was a tragedy that spoke volumes of racism and the power of emotions. It was the kind of tragedy that was so horrific that people wanted to forget reading it, but it was also something that they never forgot because of the power the story has. Ichigo snorted when he realized that Rukia would somehow relate Ichigo to the story, probably something to do with masochism.

Speaking of Rukia, Ichigo checked his cell phone, five o'clock, which meant that it was about ten over there. He grimaced, he was late, she would be pissed, if she was even awake. Ichigo dialed her number, which he knew by heart, and hoped, _prayed_ that Rukia was still up. He hated leaving her hanging, and not just because she would be pissed as hell at him the next day, he always felt like he'd let her down, after all he'd told her he would call, and for Ichigo that was as good as a promise. Ichigo never broke a promise, not if he could help it.

_Ring._

_Ring._

_Ring. _

Shit, she wasn't picking up. Normally it only took a couple of rings.

_Ring._

_Ring._

Hell, she hated him. He wanted to die.

_Ring._

_Ri--. Hi this is Rukia, I'm busy right now so it would be great if you could leave your name and phone number. As soon as I figure out how to work this stupid machine I'll call you right back. Thanks, bye._

Damn, now he had to leave a message, he hated leaving a message for her. Mostly it was just another reminder that he'd failed to call her on time.

_Oh, and if this is Ichigo, don't bother leaving a message. I'll call you back when I'm damn ready...Asshole._

_Beep._

Fuck.

* * *

AN: Thank you to all my reviewers! You are the inspiration that keeps me writing! I hope that you all enjoy this chapter I have finished finals (FINALLY!) and I sort of have a computer. I should be updating regularly, if not please send me a kick in the butt.

If you have time, or are just bored please review! Advice/suggestions are appreciated!

ETERNALEATER


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.

Rukia sighed. It was ten thirty and that dumbass still hadn't called her yet. Rukia swore softly, it wasn't like him not to call. Even if it was late, and _especially _when he was having a bad day. Sometimes she could hear his roomates shouting at him when she called unexpectedly, wanting to talk to his 'secret friend.' Secretly it made her feel important, special even. But she knew that she wasn't that much in Ichigo's life, she _couldn't_ be. It was the role of the Shinigami. To be near, but not close. To partner up; temporarily. She was just a small facet of his life.

But that didn't mean that she didn't worry about him, especially when he didn't call.

She flipped open her phone her phone and blinked at the message. One new voicemail. She growled when she scrolled through the missed calls list and found Ichigo's name. Damn her stupid phone for being a piece of crap! When she hadn't picked up Ichigo probably thought she was mad at him. Especially with her voicemail the way it was. After all she had recorded that after she found out he was leaving, needless to say she wasn't in a good mood with him that day. Thankfully (or not so thankfully considering that her piece of crap phone hadn't rung when he called) he had ignored her (or her voicemail), and left a one anyway.

Almost hesitantly, she pressed the call button and listened to his message.

_Rukia, _there was a long silence. She couldn't help but wonder if he had hung up here, if he had she would hold this wimpy message over his head until he never saw her again.

_Rukia, I-I just. _

_Dammit! I'm... sorry. I should have called earlier I know that but--_

_Aww never mind you're probably going to erase this anyways._

_..._

_But... I'll call you tomorrow again, early okay?_

_..._

_Sorry_

_Beep._

She flipped her phone closed before she could hear any of machine crap. She checked the clock again ten forty-five. Which meant that he would be heading to his study session soon. Which meant that he would be with all of his collage friends, plus she had a five page report due tomorrow that she should get started on...

Oh, who the hell was she kidding. She never did any homework since he'd left anyway.

She flipped open her phone again and pressed the call button.

_Ring._

_Ring._

_Ring._

_You have one message. _

_Rukia..._

_Rukia, I-I just._

_Dammit!_

Rukia lay back on his bed and closed her eyes. Eventually, things began to come back to her. His smell, man shampoo and the sweet smell of wood right after its cut. His stupid scowl, the way he blushed whenever he did something nice for her. His brown eyes that always reminded her of familiar forests and chocolate at the same time. His face whenever he was determined to save someone... even if they didn't want to be save. Especially the look he had when he stopped to Soukyoku just in time to save her. And right before he left when he'd said--

_Sorry._

* * *

AN: I hope that all of you liked this chapter, I'm not really sure if it turned out alright so let me know! By the way if you're gonna leave suggestions please leave me a name. At least then we can discuss your opinions so I can get better.

Thanks a bunch!~

ETERNALEATER


	4. Chapter 4

Ichigo knew he was fighting a losing battle. He could feel his body giving out on him, his limbs felt like lead, his eyes were drooping with what felt like a thousand pounds. He wondered if and when he would start hallucinating. His hands laced tightly together, his knuckles white with effort as two very powerful forces fought within his body. Caffeine and absolute exhaustion.

Goddamn time zones.

Ichigo took another gulp of what felt like stale, cold coffee and winced. He snarled bitterly at the taste, he _hated_ cold coffee and the coffee shop had closed hours ago. Not to mention the _one_ person that Ichigo knew to drink coffee cold (and _only_ cold) was the one who had gotten him into this predicament in the first place.

His unofficial pain-in-the-ass, rumored girlfriend, and the only person ever to sleep in his closet; Kuchiki Rukia.

It also happened to be her 200th birthday.

While the fact that she was two centuries old disturbed Ichigo it wasn't as much as the fact that she had asked for two hundred candles on a freakin' Chappy the Bunny cake. Ichigo worried that Yuzu would give in to her demands and burn the whole damn clinic down.

But, regardless of his fears, Ichigo knew (better than anyone) that Rukia would be expecting (even if she didn't say it) for Ichigo to call her sometime tomorr—err, he meant today. Even if he'd had to stay up until two freakin' thirty in the morning to do it.

Ichigo fumbled with his phone, blinking furiously when sleep began to cloud his eyes. His fingers stumbled over the small keys as he dialed a number he'd memorized.

_Ring._

_Ring._

_Ri—_

"What the HELL?!"

"Good morning sunshine." Ichigo smirked.

"ICHIGO! WHAT THE _HELL _ARE YOU—" A muffled thud sounded through the receiver, along with a string of curse words.

Ichigo blinked. "Rukia? Rukia are you okay?!"

"Hang on!" Her voice was faded, like she was shouting from far away. "Don't hang up yet! I'm coming!"

"Ichigo? Ichigo you better not have hung up on me!"

Ichigo chuckled. "A little clumsy this morning Rukia?"

She growled, which made Ichigo feel incredibly thankful for the thousands of miles that separated them. He was, for once, out of range of her fist. And foot. Both were equally lethal.

"Well maybe that's because this _stupid idiot _I know is calling me at _six in the freakin' morning_."

Oh yes, very thankful.

"So," She was still snarling, "what the hell do you want?"

"I didn't think I could call you later today I have finals."

"So?"

"Uh…."

"WHAT!?!"

"…happy birthday?"

"Crap! It's my _birthday_?!"

Sometimes, Ichigo mused, the gods had _way_ too much fun making him torturing him.

* * *

I know. I know. This took me a while. Well for the past week I haven't had access to the internet. And the rest of the time... well yeah I'm lazy.

Anyway, I've gotten it out. Some of you might be dissapointed it isn't a continuation of the missed phone call. Well too bad. This is what came out so this is what I'm posting.

You don't like it don't read it or get over it.

Much love,

ETERNALEATER.


	5. Chapter 5

At about five o'clock later that day Rukia Kuchiki was found staring at a quite large cardboard box. The obnoxiously white label clearly said_ KUCHIKI RUKIA, _but she made no move towards it. In fact, she stood very still, in a rigid pose, completely unwilling to move. Her school bag was hanging precariously from her arm, one shoe removed and one partially off.

She could not believe it. Absolutely not.

Ichigo had bought her a birthday present.

Even after the countless times he _told_ her that the shipping would literally skin him alive it was so expensive. And there was nothing, _nothing_ that she could do (he was, of course, counting on the fact that they were thousands of miles away from each other) that would convince him otherwise.

But here was the proof. The absolute, inconceivable proof, that Kurosaki Ichigo had stepped over his pride (emptied his wallet) and gotten her a birthday present. And from the looks of it, it was _huge._

A brilliant smile worked it's way on her face and she hurriedly scooped up the box and ran up to her (Ichigo's ex) room. She ripped the box apart, skillfully dodging the cardboard remnants as they flew at her with her honed Shinigami skills.

She screamed.

And came face to face with the biggest, most _enormous_ Chappy bunny doll she had _ever_ seen in her life. Rukia buried her face in the white fluff, hugging the stuffed doll tightly. It was only when she heard a light crinkle that she looked up and found a note. It was Ichigo's messy, scribbled handwriting taped lightly to Chappy's fuzz.

_Well, Happy Birthday I guess... _

_I hope you got this on the right day. Because if you didn't it means the mail screwed up, so I get to go yell at them and maybe get some of my money back. And maybe I won't be as COMPLETELY broke as I am now. I hope you know that this damn doll cost me a week's worth of food. Now I have to go bum food off my roommate, which is probably stale pizza or some disgusting shit like that. I hope you know that no self respecting Shinigami of 200 years would like Chappy. _

_Damn, your going to kick me for that right?_

_Well this gift is more than just feeding your Chappy obsession. If you actually took the time to look in the box, _after _the giant stuff thing (yes, thing) than maybe you would have seen the multiple things packed in there. But knowing you-- _

Rukia looked into the box and gasped. There was actually a _lot_ of stuff in the box. She reached over with one hand (not even setting Chappy down) and pulled out a pair of expensive looking shoes. There was a note attached to these too.

_These shoes are called Converse. Don't ask me why, I don't know. It's pretty popular back home but they are expensive as hell. Which is why I never bought them for you. And before you ask, _yes_ there was a Chappy printed one, and _no_ I'm not getting it for you. You have the damn doll. _

The shoes were a deep shade of indigo, the laces were a bright, very new looking white. The shoes were low cut, not like the ones that everyone else wore. Rukia stroked the shoes lightly marveling at the intensity of the combination.

She turned back to the box.

_This, _the note read, _is an iPod. I know I haven't told you about these but in America, iPods are pretty much illegal _not_ to own. At least that's what my roomate says, it doesn't actually say that in the laws. It basically hold a lot of songs so that you can listen to them without changing CDs. There should be a couple of earphones in the package. It's all set up for you to listen to so, just plug the earphones in (at the TOP) and go to the Playlist bar._

Rukia twirled the metallic box in her hands. It was completely black except for the bright white words written around the even darker circle in the middle. She made a mental note to ask Yuzu and Karin how to use this thing so she didn't break it. Ichigo would be pissed.

There was a stack of pictures in the box. And a couple other wrapped packages. Rukia's eyebrows furrowed and she picked up the Chappy note again.

_But knowing you, you probably just picked up the Chappy doll and screamed. _Yeah that was pretty much how it went, Rukia mused. _There are a couple more things in the box for you (I hope you know that I am practically a beggar now) and the packages are for Yuzu and Karin (for their birthday). There's a bunch of pictures of the campus. 'Cause you said you wanted to see._

_Call me._

_Ichigo._

When Rukia finished reading the note she noticed, much to her chagrin, a lump in her throat. Tears spilled down her cheeks without her permission and she slapped and rubbed at her face vigorously. She _would not cry_. But the gaping hole of loneliness had opened again, and the tears she had forbidden to fall tumbled down like Niagara Falls.

God _damn it!_

No matter what she had said about him leaving, or what she had done, Rukia couldn't help but feel an incredible sense of loneliness without him. It was almost like how she had felt in Soul Society after Nii-sama had adopted her. Except she had Yuzu and Karin.

Rukia, although she would _never _say it, had lost her pillar of strength.

And she missed him.

* * *

This might not have been what you were expecting. And I probably didn't even need to continue the birthday thing. But I did. Mostly because my muse wouldn't let it go.

Hope you liked!

Much love,

ETERNALEATER.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or Kiss With Fist by Florence + the Machine.

_You hit me once, I hit you back. You gave a kick, I gave a slap._

Rukia was nodded her head in time with the beat of her favorite song. She didn't know any of the lyrics seeing as it was all English, but the fast beat and awesome singer kept her from changing the song more than a few times.

_You smashed a plate over my head. Then I set fire to our bed._

She jerked up when there was a sharp knock on the door. Hastily she pressed the pause button on the iPod and got up from Ichigo's bed. After all, there weren't a lot of people that would knock on Ichigo's old room at three in the morning.

Then again, Shinigami time was much different than human time.

She opened the door letting the beginnings of a myriad of problems into her life.

Abarai Renji stood in her doorway, with a prominent black eye and what looked like a dislocated shoulder.

"Renji!" She jerked the earphones out of her ears, staring at her oldest friend. "What the hell happened?"

It wasn't until he looked up at her (his head had been hanging looking miserably at the floor), that Rukia noticed the tear streaks.

"I think… I just ruined her life." He croaked out.

Oh _shit_.

* * *

_Ring._

_Ring._

Ichigo froze. Fuck. No way. She couldn't be contacting him. Not _now._

He sat absolutely frozen, looking more like a frightened schoolboy than he had in years. But considering all of the students and the professors diligently looking for cheaters had now aimed their glares and suspicious looks at him, it was a little understandable.

He was in the middle of taking his finals, his _last _final to be precise. All of the students were prohibited to bring cell phones into the exam room. Something Ichigo had completely forgotten in his haste to memorize all the terms he needed to know to pass his Psychology 101 exam.

He coughed nervously and reached his trembling hand under his desk to grab his bag. One of the professors had teleported to the side of his desk. He was only able to catch the first word of the text she'd sent him before the professor ripped the phone out of his hands.

_EMERGENCY!_

What the hell?

"We'll talk later Kurosaki." The teacher's deep voice intoned, letting him know he was in _deep _shit.

It took all of Ichigo's concentration to finish the test and _not _totally worry about what the hell had happened at home.

Damn Rukia for making him worry about her as much as he did.

* * *

I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY! I _know _it took me super SUPER long to update, but I finally got it done. The next chapter _will _be coming swiftly I'm working on it right after I post this.

I hope this is better than I think it is.

Much love,

ETERNALEATER


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.

"What the _fuck _Rukia?" Ichigo yelled in his phone the moment he got out of the Administration Building. "You almost got me kicked out of the exam!"

"Ichigo," her voice was grave. That should have been the first thing that tipped him off. Unfortunately, after exams Ichigo's brain was a _little_ fried.

"This had better be frickin' impor—"

"Tatsuki's pregnant." Her cold voice seemed to resonate in Ichigo's head.

Ichigo stopped in his tracks, making a younger undergrad bump into him unexpectedly. He could hear her apologizing profusely behind him picking up the Psychology book he'd just dropped.

"_What?"_ Ichigo gasped out.

Rukia sighed, and Ichigo could tell she'd had a hell of a day. Him getting pissed off at her probably didn't help things either. He could hear rustling on the other end of the phone as she made herself comfortable on his—no her—bed.

"She—"

"How far along is she?" Ichigo's doctor side was coming out. Despite his initial reaction, Isshin _had _hammered anything medical related into Ichigo's head. It was either that or suffer through constant bruising whenever his back was turned.

"Isshin said she was, uh," Rukia shifted again, reminding Ichigo that she got _really _uncomfortable when it came to mortal bodies. "…four months…I think…"

"Shit." Ichigo sighed. "I'll clean up over here and get there as soon as possible." His voice was solid, sure, and firm, something that Rukia found she didn't know she'd needed until she heard it.

"Call me when you get on the plane okay." Ichigo pinched the bridge of his nose, trying not to feel like a total shithead for attacking Rukia earlier.

"Okay, but only if you go down to the kitchen in the next five minutes and get something to eat." Rukia blushed when her stomach chose that moment to grumble loudly at the suggestion.

"Maybe that's a good idea."

Ichigo chuckled, the warm sound bringing out a small smile from her normally composed face.

"Be safe." He murmered, grabbing his textbook from the now irritated undergrad with a grateful nod.

"I'm _always_ safe, Ichigo." She made herself sound irritated, but Ichigo knew that this little ritual of theirs brought a little bit of more comfort to their long distance "relationship."

In the next hour, all Ichigo did was focus on finishing his final Biology project and pack. Thankfully he found cheap(ish) tickets for a flight to Tokyo tomorrow. He could take a train to Karakura, it might take a little longer than another plane trip, but he had a feeling that once he got back there wouldn't be a spare moment left for anything except the newly formed drama.

* * *

Rukia sighed and put her phone down in her lap. She could feel the exhaustion weighing down on her limbs as she tried to force herself off the bed. She could almost _hear _Ichigo scolding her for falling asleep and not getting anything to eat, despite the fact that she'd forsaken the last two meals. It was hard to eat when your friends were sobbing their eyes out and making changes to their lives that she'd _never ever _thought he would make.

After Renji had come out and told her that he'd been seeing Tatsuki since Ichigo had left for college, Rukia ended up asking him the question that solidified his resolve. Something that Rukia had a feeling she would regret asking for the rest of her life.

"Do you love her?" Rukia looked earnestly at the downcast face in front of her. Renji had been yanking at his hair when he told her the story, the long crimson strands hung in front of his face making him look even more scruffy and confused then when he came in.

He looked up at her at the statement, his eyes, previously confused and wild, looked resolved, calm.

"Yes," his voice was deep, and coarse but solid. Sure.

"Okay well," she sat back against the wall running a hand through her hair. "I guess that—"

"I know what I need to do, Rukia."

She looked at him strangely. "And what the fuck would _that _be."

Renji flinched a little at her harsh tone. He sort of expected it, after all Rukia had never been accused of reading minds. Except when it came to Ichigo, but he was a special case.

"I'm going to get myself instated as a permanent resident of Karakura. I need to be here for her and the baby."

Rukia froze. "You're giving up your rank? Your _life's work?_"

Renji sort of shrugged, obviously not having thought out the idea that fully.

"If I need to. It's my fault after all. It's my job to fix it."

"It takes _two_ to tango Renji." Rukia grinned inwardly, proud that she'd successfully used one of the modern day terms Ichigo had taught her. It suck that she had to use it now though.

"I'm not leaving her to do this alone."

Rukia sighed sadly. She knew that tone, that was the tone Ichigo took on whenever he was determined to do something. Nothing in the world could stop Renji now.

Unless…

"Renji," she snapped him out of his planning. She wouldn't let this happen, not after all the crap Soul Society had gone through.

"_You_," she pointed an accusing finger at him, "are not gonna do anything yet."

Renji's gaze darkened, and Rukia knew that almost nothing she said at this point would matter. Hopefully though, she'd get through to him.

"At least not until Ichigo gets back here."

* * *

Okay, so I finally got off my fat behind and got a decent chapter out to you guys. I can't guarantee that the next chapter will come out fast though, I do have other priorities.

Anyway, thanks for reading, and if you have time (and the inclination) review please!

Much love,

ETERNALEATER.


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